Eutychius II of Alexandria

Eutychius II of Alexandria, also Sa'id ibn Batrik, was the patriarch of the Church of Alexandria from 932 to 940. Among the first of the Egyptian Christians to write in Arabic. He is most famous for his chronicle of the world Annals.

Life

Eutychius was born on September 10, 877 in Fustat, the original capital of Arab Egypt that later became part of Cairo. Professionally, he was a medical practitioner (Mutatabbib) who became patriarch at the age of sixty. His appointment was opposed as he had not held any clerical office before his appointment, an appointment that probably was influenced by the Muslim rulers. This opposition continued until his death.

The Annals, written in Arabic, was his most important work. His other works included a book on medicine and an apologetic work. Patr. Eutychius began to compile the Annals before he became patriarch. The chronicle began with the Creation and continued to his time, covering the churches of the Holy Land and events in Persia before the rise of Islam and the later Sassanid rulers. The Annals was later translated into English by Edward Pococke.